Andrei waits for some more time, and when he understands that I will not resist, he slips his fingers under the elastic band of my shorts. I feel how he slowly millimeter by millimeter lowers a thin cotton down my legs, as if watching my reaction, worrying that I will get scared and start pushing him away. But I don't. Despite all our disagreements with my brother, I know that he will not hurt me or offend me.

When I find myself completely undressed, Andrei again picks me up in his arms and carefully lowers me into a bath filled with warm water. I was so tired that it seemed...